A Sweet Present
by milopita
Summary: Sorry, but I have chosen not to continue this story, I apologize to all of my readers :
1. Chapter 1 The Birthday

A Sweet Present

Chapter 1- The Birthday

"Eva!"

The voice startled Eva, who was staring into space. She looked up into the face of her father, Don Wei.

"Its time to leave, are you ready?" He looked at her, obviously wondering what she had been thinking about.

"Yeah, dad. I'm ready." Her voice had a curious tone. It wasn't tired or excited, but rather thoughtful, as if she wasn't quite focusing on the words that came out of her mouth.

She stood up from her seat on the front stairs of her public school. Eva's school had just gotten out for the summer and, since she was a senior, she didn't have to go back in the fall, or ever again. She walked to the car and opened the door. Sitting down she turned to her father. He was looking at her inquisitively and it was starting to freak her out.

"Ummm…hi?" Eva wasn't exactly sure what he wanted her to say.

Don Wei shook his head as if he was coming out of a trance.

"Sorry, I was just wondering what you were thinking about when I pulled up."

"Oh, it was nothing. I was just thinking about Oban. You know that it has been over three years since we left?" Eva paused, "Well, most of us left."

Her father stared at her sympathetically.

"Eva, I know you miss Jordan, but he is better off in his new position."

"I know, dad. I just wish that he didn't have to sacrifice himself that way; I wish he could have stayed human and come back to earth with us. Yet, at the same time, I know that would never have worked. He liked me, more than I liked him. That would have made our friendship awkward and I don't know what would have happened. Maybe its better off this way, when we can just remember each other as friends."

Don Wei just nodded. He knew that Eva was explaining things to herself more than him. The rest of the ride home was in silence. Eva was reminiscing about her races on Oban, Jordan, and her other friends from the races, specifically Aikka. Don Wei was contemplating something he had heard recently, that silence is the loudest noise in the universe.

_There is some truth in this_, he thought. He could hear every sigh Eva made, every deep breath. It was hard on him to know that his daughter was suffering and, even though he was only a few feet away, he could not help her. This was something she had to get over on her own, without his assistance.

They pulled up to the house, or rather the mansion, and Don Wei parked the car in front. They both got out of the car and walked in the front door.

"SURPRISE!!!!!"

Eva jumped about ten feet into the air. The lights turned on the reveal Rick Thunderbolt, Stan, and Koji. The earth team. Eva started to laugh as she overcame the shock. Everyone was smiling as Eva realized that today was her 18th birthday. She had completely forgotten. Eva still wasn't used to spending her birthdays with her father. All the years she spent alone in the boarding school had caused her to not want to even remember her birthday. Not having a birthday was always better than celebrating it alone.

The team ushered Eva over to a table, delicately covered in a pale green tablecloth that Eva recognized as her mothers. On the table was an envelope. Next to this was a large single layered cake with a picture of the _Arrow II_. The cake wasn't perfect; in fact it was far from it. The frosting was all but slopped on, and the picture was a very simple one. Eva didn't care. After all, it is the thought that counts, right?

She opened the envelope with care, trying not to rip the edges. When she opened it all she found was a card. Trying not to show her disappointment, Eva hid her face behind the card and read the contents. _Blah, Blah, Happy Birthday, Blah…wait…what?!_ Her face suddenly appeared above the card, this time showing obvious joy. She flung herself at Stan and Koji, who were the closest. Hugging them she started yelling over and over again, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The mechanics blushed with pleasure. Eva then ran over to Rick, still yelling. After she finished hugging him she turned to her father. The yelling stopped, but the smile remained.

"Thank you so much, dad," Eva said as she buried her face in his shoulder.

The card had fallen to the floor in Eva's rush of excitement. As it fluttered to the ground, the words were clearly visible:

_My Dearest Eva, _

_Happy Birthday! I know that I haven't been around to celebrate with you much in the past, but I want to make it up to you. So, just for you, Rick, Stan, Koji, and I all pitched in and bought you a round trip to Nourasia, the home of your friend Prince Aikka. I have already spoken with him and he has made the arrangements for your stay at his palace. He was very excited to see you after all these years. And now he can keep his promise to you. You will be there for a year, and although I am happy that you will be having fun, I will miss you. Your flight leaves in two days. _

_With all the love a father can give, plus more,_

Don Wei 

The cake sat forgotten as Eva danced around the room. The guests and her father laughed at her attempts to do cartwheels and flips. Eva was certainly no gymnast.

Two days later, Eva was running around the house, flinging last minute items into her already over packed suitcases.

"Eva! If we don't leave now we will miss your flight!"

"I know! Ok, I'm ready! Let's go! Slowpoke!" Eva was obviously very excited.

The car zoomed to the airport and they barely made it there on time. Eva ran through the gates, after a hasty goodbye to her father, just as the flight was almost done boarding. She sat down in her seat and spread her feet out along the row. She was lucky, the plane was hardly crowded and she had a whole row to herself. The pilot came on:

"Ladies and gentlemen! We are now leaving for a straight flight to Nourasia. The plane will land at the Nourasian National Airport in 24 hours. Enjoy the flight."

The seatbelt lights flashed on and Eva buckled up. The flight was long which was pure torture for Eva. Although she loved to fly, 24 hours was plenty of time to get nervous. She tried to sleep, but was only able to do so for six hours. Finally she gave up and began to think about Prince Aikka. _How much has he changed? Will he recognize me? Was he really excited to have me, or was he just being nice? What does Nourasia even look like? Will anyone like me?_ The thoughts raced through her head. The more she tried not to think about it, the more she thought about it. It was a losing battle.

Finally the pilot's voice was heard again:

"We are now arriving at the Nourasian National Airport, please buckle up and feel free to look out the windows."

Eva moved to the window seat and put her seatbelt on. The clouds restricted her from seeing anything at first, but they soon cleared up. The sight took Eva's breath away. Only one thought was on her mind now.

_Nourasia._


	2. Chapter 2 First Day

Chapter 2- First Day

Eva gasped. Nourasia was beautiful! The landscape was similar to that of a rainforest, but without the crowdedness. The trees were spaces out and had a gold-orange color. The buildings resembled the ancient Mayan temples of earth. The countless birds looked a lot like the present-day bluebirds on our planet as well. Everything looked so elegant. Nothing looked out of place, except the palace. Eva could tell it was the place because it put the surrounding buildings to shame. It was absolutely magnificent! If Eva had ever seen perfection, it was in the palace. She stared out the window as the spaceship descended, watching as everything came closer.

When the craft was landed without a jolt, the pilots voice came again, saying that they were now free to grab their items and disembark the spaceship. Eva grabbed her CD player and the picture of her mother, father, and herself that was taken in a park about 13 years ago. As she reached the gates of the airport, a staff member came and handed her all of her suitcases. He directed her to the place where she could wait for someone to pick her up.

While Eva walked over to the crowded area, she realized that she had no idea who was supposed to pick her up. Hopefully, it would be someone she recognized, like Aikka, or his trainer. Preferably Aikka. She looked around. Many Nourasians walked by her, but didn't even look at her. Eva began to feel out of place as she turned in circles to find a familiar face.

Suddenly, it seemed like the crowd cleared, to reveal Aikka, leaning against the wall, smiling. Eva smiled back, walking toward him. As she walked closer, he straightened up, making his height more apparent. He had grown a lot in the years they had spent apart, both in height and maturity.

"Welcome, Eva," Aikka said in the formal tone that hadn't changed at all. He bowed, and then straightened, sweeping her up in a hug. "It is good to see you again."

"You too." Eva returned the embrace.

They released each other after a few moments, and then just looked at each other smiling. Aikka suddenly blushed.

"How rude of me to forget my manners! I apologize. You must be very tired. I will escort you to the palace immediately, and next I can show you your room. Then, if you are not too tired, I could show you my home."

"I'm not tired at all." Eva smiled. Aikka smiled in return and nodded. He picked up all of her suitcases, and there was a lot! Aikka signaled at Eva to follow him and he led the way through the crowd. They walked out the doors into the warm sunny day. G'dar was resting in front. The beetle recognized Eva immediately and started clicking and whistling. Aikka and Eva both laughed at his antics. Eva walked over and began to pet the beetle. G'dar slowly calmed down. Aikka turned to a Nourasian that was standing nearby.

"Please take these bags to Lady Eva's room, we will arrive there shortly." The assistant nodded and loaded the suitcases onto a beetle next to G'dar. Aikka turned back to Eva. "Would you like help up?" Eva nodded and Aikka handed her up onto G'dar. Aikka then mounted in front of her and she wrapped her arms around his waist. They left the airport behind and Aikka guided G'dar toward the palace.

As they flew, Aikka explained what each unknown object was. Eva took it all in with wide eyes. When they pulled up to the front of the palace, a small group of people was standing there, obviously waiting for the prince and his guest. When G'dar landed Aikka jumped down and turned back to help Eva, but she had already jumped down beside him. He just smiled. _I didn't realize how much I missed those acts of independence, _he thought.

"Welcome, Lady Eva!" A Nourasian dressed in an elaborate gold robe stepped forward, followed by a Nourasian woman that was dressed similarly. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you! I have heard many endearing things about you from my son."

Eva then realized who these people were, the king and queen, Aikka's parents. She started to curtsy, but the queen caught her up in a hug before she could.

"There is no reason for such formalities. After all, we will be spending a year together," the queen stated. "I am Queen Juanissa (Wan-eese-a)."

"And I am King Navole (Na-vole-A)."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," Eva replied, using her best manners.

"Eva, we are positively delighted to have you here, especially after your magnificent victory over the Crogs. We are extremely grateful to you," Navole said.

Eva blushed, "It was nothing, nothing at all."

"No, no. It was everything, we…." Juanissa was interrupted by her son.

Aikka, noticing Eva's obvious embarrassment, broke in, "Mother, father, I believe Lady Eva is very tired, and I was going to escort her to her room and help her unpack." He winked. Eva looked at him curiously and wondered why he had done that.

His parents both smiled and nodded. They stepped back, telling Eva once more how excited they were that she had come. Aikka guided her up the stairs that led to the palace. As they entered the doors, Eva stopped breathing. This was the most picturesque site she had seen it her life, including Alwas and Oban. The palace was amazing on the outside, but even better on the inside. There were extravagant columns that held up the high arched ceiling. Murals were all over the walls in bright colors and of many different scenes. Flowers were everywhere, and in every shape and color. It was perfect.

Aikka noticed her face and glowed. He had spent the past three months preparing for Eva's visit. Don Wei had contacted him well in advance.

They continued up a glorious staircase that curved slightly with the circular shape of the large room. Aikka led Eva down a hallway and into a beautiful green and blue bedroom. The room was absolutely gigantic! The bed was the same size as three king sized beds put together, with a large canopy over the top and hanging down the sides. There was a window that covered half of the south wall and a window seat right next to it. A large door led to an even larger bathroom. There was a bathtub, shower, sink, toilet, and many cabinets, and a Jacuzzi-like tub as well. The room was fit for a princess.

Aikka interrupted her ogling, "This will be your room for the next year, if you like it, that is." He added the last part hastily.

"Its perfect," Molly breathed.

Aikka smiled with delight. He had personally designed this room for her and was happy she liked it.

Eva turned back to the bed, where her suitcases were already laying. She sighed and began to unpack her clothes, putting them in the large dresser. Aikka insisted on helping and Eva explained every item's use as they unpacked. They both blushed when he pulled out her underwear; he wasn't naïve enough to not know what those were.

When they were finished, which took about two hours because of the amount of clothes Eva had packed, Aikka began to show Eva around the palace. Eva followed him with wide eyes. Countless servants bustled around them as they walked through the wide hallways. The servants carried a variety of things, from brightly colored paper to miniature fountains.

"Is it always so busy around here?" Eva asked.

"Not usually." Aikka offered no further explanation. Eva was still curious, but decided to drop the subject. Instead, she paid attention to the activities and scenery that surrounded her.

Aikka showed Eva around the whole palace, including the hall where his parents' bedroom was located, as well as his own room. When Aikka turned down to a new hallway that led outside, Eva stopped.

"What's going on in there?" She asked, pointing to a large set of elaborate doors. The noises and voices that escaped from the room were very loud.

Aikka froze, his eyes got wide, but then his expressionless mask came on. "It is nothing, don't worry about it." As he said this he saw Eva's eyes look at the floor. _She is obviously upset that I am keeping her in the dark, but it is better this way. I can apologize later; it is better to say nothing for now._

Aikka just turned and continued down the hall. Eva followed, but with less enthusiasm than before. At the end of the hallway, a great open door led to a garden. This was not anything like the gardens Eva had seen on earth. This garden was amazing. The flowers were very exotic looking and quite a bit larger than the ones on earth. They also came in a wider variety of colors. There were green flowers, blue flowers, brown flowers, gray flowers, purple flowers, red flowers, orange flowers, pink flowers, yellow flowers, white flowers, black flowers, gold flowers, and every other color you could possibly think of. Eva forgot her previous depression and ran straight to the nearest flower, a yellow one, and smelled it. The smell was intoxicating, but in a good way. The scent was similar to that of a rose, but more concentrated, so it smelt even better.

Aikka showed Eva around the garden, telling her what each type of flower symbolized. When he came to a sweet scented white flower, he stopped.

"This flower symbolizes purity of the heart. It represents the goodness and joy in life and in people. It is the most sacred of all these flowers." Aikka picked one of the flowers and placed it into Eva's hair, causing her to blush. Her blush was quickly followed by his.

Aikka looked away quickly, hoping she hadn't noticed his flush. "I believe it is almost dinner, why don't I escort you to your room, so your maid will help you prepare?"

Eva nodded, not completely sure what prepare was referring to.

They walked up to her room, past fewer servants this time, though. It seemed all of the excitement had died down a bit. Upon reaching her door, Aikka turned toward her.

"I shall return to accompany you downstairs when you are ready." He turned and practically ran back down the hallway, leaving Eva staring after him in confusion.


	3. Chapter 3 Surprise!

Chapter 3- Surprise!

The maid ushered Eva into the room as soon as Aikka was out of sight. The door shut loudly behind her. The maid ran over to the bed and lifted up a gorgeous, long white dress. There were elaborate designs resembling the ones on Prince Aikka's headpiece embroidered with white silk thread, so they didn't stand out too much, but were still noticeable. It was absolutely breathtaking.

The maid clothed Eva in the dress, which fit perfectly. It was comfortable, very lightweight, and showed off her curves nicely. Then the maid fixed up Eva's hair, pulling it into a neat bun on top of her head, with a few loose locks hanging down. After that, the maid applied some makeup. It was subtle, but brought out the color in Eva's cheeks and eyes. Eva was ready in 45 minutes. As soon as the maid was finished, she guided Eva to the mirror next to her bed. Eva gaped. The reflection in the mirror could not be hers, she was still a girl, but the reflection was that of a woman's. She was a princess, an Earth Princess. The Nourasian clothes and styles just seemed to make her human features more distinct. She was beautiful. Her fit-for-a-princess room now seemed to fit her, Eva.

The slight clearing of a throat behind brought Eva back to reality. She turned and saw the maid opening the door to reveal Prince Aikka. He was dressed in robes even nicer than before. He looked like royalty, as was fitting.

"Eva, are you ready for…" His voice trailed off as he looked at her. _WOW. I knew she was very pretty, but…WOW. She is gorgeous! I never quite realized how beautiful she really is. Oh shoot! I'm just standing here like an idiot! Say something! Hurry, hurry, something good, tell her she looks great! _"You look great, Eva." _You idiot! Why did I say that? Great is a common word to describe something common, she is anything but common! _"I mean you look fantastic."

"Thanks, Aikka." Eva blushed. He looked fantastic too, but she was too shy to say anything about it.

"Shall I escort you to dinner?" Aikka bowed as he would to a princess, because Eva was a princess to him.

"It would be my honor," Eva said, as she attempted to curtsy.

She took Aikka's offered arm and they walked down the hallway, leaving the maid standing there, smiling.

Aikka led Eva down the hallway and toward the large, elaborate doors from which the noise had been issuing from previously. Now it was dead silent. No light showed from beneath the doors. Eva frowned in puzzlement.

"Aikka, are you sure this is where dinner is? There doesn't seem to be anyone here."

"I'm positive, just wait." He opened the door and led Eva inside.

All of the sudden, the lights turned on and hundreds of voices shouted, "SURPRISE!"

Eva started, almost jumping into Aikka's arms. The lights revealed many Nourasians, all smiling at her. There was a large white cake in the middle of the vast room. Many small fountains were displayed around the rim. Directly below the cake was a huge pile of presents, all wrapped in the brightly colored paper that Eva had seen the servants with earlier. Suddenly it all fell into place: Aikka's secrecy, the noises, the bustling servants, preparing. They had planned a surprise party for her!

A big smile lit up her face. "Are you serious?! This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me! Thank you so much, all of you!" Eva turned to Aikka and he led her into the large crowd of people. Eva introduced herself to everyone and they all were very nice. They talked to her about Nourasian customs, asked her questions about her customs, especially birthdays, and congratulated her on turning 18. One of the Nourasian customs she learned was that birthday presents were never opened in public; they were always opened after the party in private.

After the original excitement decreased and everyone had had a piece of cake, Eva was able to talk to people one on one. She noticed the king and queen and went over to thank her hosts.

"Thank you so much for all of this," she said.

"Of course, my dear, you are very welcome. However, you must know, it was not us who arranged this party, it was our son. After your father contacted us, Aikka was intrigued about the occasion for your visit. He questioned your father about birthday customs and decided to throw you a little surprise party. He planned every bit of it out." Queen Juanissa smiled down at Eva. "Our son has taken quite a liking to you, Lady Eva." At this last statement Eva blushed.

"Then, if you forgive me, I must go and find the prince, to thank him." Eva blushed even more, wondering what she would say to him.

"There is nothing to forgive, it is your party. Do what you wish." The king gave her a wink and Eva hurried away.

Looking around the room, Eva finally spotted Aikka. He was standing on the balcony that overlooked the gardens below. She walked over to him, leaning against the railing beside him.

"Your parents said this party was your idea." She didn't look at him yet, just stared at the white flowers that he had showed her earlier, suddenly remembering that hers was just laying on the bed where she had put it when the maid had helped her change.

Aikka blushed, murmuring, "Yes."

"Then, thank you. This was really sweet and it meant a lot to me." Eva turned and looked at him.

Aikka looked back, straight into her eyes. "It was nothing."

"That is where you're wrong, it was everything." Eva gave Aikka a kiss on the cheek and walked back into the room. Aikka was left staring after her, his hand touching the cheek she had kissed.


	4. Chapter 4 Remembering

Chapter 4- Remembering

_The sun was suddenly blocked by a dark shadow, a dust storm. The earth team was trapped in the Arrow III, trying to escape from the almost certain death. Eva tried to keep her team alive and found a temple to rest in. The dust settled down, covering the planet. As far as Eva knew, they were the only survivors. Even Aikka… Aikka was dead. She would never see him again, and it was her fault all of this had happened. Oban was gone, replaced by some sand covered planet of doom and destruction. Then, a shadow appeared, but not another dust storm. Eva jumped up, the hope welling up unbearably within her. She ran to the top of the temple, where G'dar had landed. She almost cried with joy, but then she saw that G'dar had no rider, Prince Aikka was nowhere to be seen. G'dar moved, revealing an unconscious Nourasian. Prince Aikka. Eva ran forward, the hope returning. She held the prince in her arms, hoping for everything to be okay. The prince would be fine, that is all she could think to herself. If she allowed one bit of doubt into her head, she wasn't sure she could handle it. Her worry over him consumed her, and she was lost in that world. Her prince was going to be okay. Her__prince… _

A streak of light from the newly opened curtains suddenly woke Eva from her dream. She opened her eyes to catch a fleeting glimpse of the maid shutting the door on her way out. Eva yawned and sat up, trying to remember what she had been dreaming about. Then the memories came back. That fateful day, when Jordan sacrificed himself, when she wasn't sure she would ever see Aikka again. She clutched her sheets closer to herself, unconsciously thinking they would make everything all right, that these memories would just be a dream, and nothing more. The pain of that day still hurt, and never seemed to diminish. Eva wanted things to turn out like a fairy tale. She had wanted Jordan to have survived, and to never have loved her, so they just could have been partners and friends. She wanted her father to have been the perfect father, and to never have abandoned her when she was five. And she wanted Aikka… What did she want Aikka to be? She loved being friends with him, but why did it seem like that wasn't enough? He was a very special person to her, a very special friend, but was that all? Sometimes, when she was around him or thinking of him, some weird feeling would emerge. The feeling wasn't bad, but it hurt sometimes, especially when she hadn't talked to Aikka in a long time. Eva didn't know what would cause this feeling of unrest. It made her act on crazy impulses, like when she kissed him last night. Albeit it was only on his cheek, it was not something she would have done if she had thought about it. Had she wanted too? Of course, but she would have been far too scared of rejection to actually do it. That was why she more or less ran away from him afterward. She didn't want to see the look on his face. It made her nervous just thinking about seeing him now. The worst part about the whole experience was that she liked it. She wanted to kiss him again, and maybe not just the cheek this time.

A knock on the door interrupted Eva's thoughts.

"Lady Eva, are you decent? I have come to help you dress, for the prince has requested that you eat breakfast with him in the garden this morning." Eva's maid hurried in, closing the door behind her. She hadn't even waited for Eva's answer to her question.

"Umm…what should I wear?" Eva still wasn't sure if the fancy dress she had worn last night was an everyday dress, or just one for special occasions.

"Don't worry about that, that is my job. I will assist you in preparing."

"Thanks. Then, what am I wearing?"

"How does this look?" The maid held up a dress that was a deep crimson, similar to the color in Eva's hair. It was not as elaborate as the white dress from last night, but still very pretty. The designs were embroidered in black this time, so they stood out more. The maid dressed Eva in the outfit, and then proceeded to do her hair. Instead of the bun like last night, Eva's hair was just brushed until it was soft and smooth, and hung loosely around her shoulders, rather than looking spiky and stiff. No makeup was applied to Eva at all. Eva looked in the mirror, again surprised that the reflection did not resemble the awkward teen she was accustomed too, but rather a beautiful young woman.

Eva walked down to the gardens, after the maid reminded her where it was, and saw Prince Aikka waiting for her at a small white table in the corner of the garden, right next to the white flowers of purity. She blushed, remembering her actions last night. Steadily, she walked forward, trying to act like the princess she looked.

"Good morning, Prince Aikka." Eva used her formal tone to greet her friend, hoping that her formalness would somehow even out her forwardness last night.

Aikka looked up at her words, he hadn't noticed her approach. He had been lost in thought, about last night. The question he kept asking himself was why did that kiss on the cheek affect him so greatly? He prided himself in keeping his emotions in check, but last night, he couldn't describe any of the emotions he felt. They were so new, so different, and so alien. They had hurt, but felt good, they made him feel safe, and yet lost, and he had felt warm, but still, he had shivers. He was just left confused, watching Eva walk away, a hand on his cheek.

"Good morning, Eva." Aikka gave her a deep nod, all the while wondering why she had decided to become so formal all of the sudden. He couldn't remember the last time she had used his title. Her lack of formalness was one of the reasons he became so interested in her in the first place. If she had shown the proper respect he was used to that first time they met, Aikka doubted he would have ever talked to her again. Now, all of the sudden, she had become polite. Where on Nourasia did that come from? "Eva, would you care to join me for breakfast? We have prepared some earth food just for you. An English muffin with strawberry jam, scrambled eggs, and a weird mush called oatmeal."

Eva burst out laughing. It felt good to finally get past the awkward post-kiss stage. _Although, it was only a friendly kiss on the cheek,_ she reminded herself. Aikka looked confused at her sudden outburst.

"Sorry," Eva said as she began to control her laughter. "It just seems so weird to talk to someone who doesn't know what oatmeal is. And the look on your face when you said it!" Her controlled laughter burst out again, making Aikka smile. _So much for acting like a princess, _Eva thought.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing," Aikka said, still smiling. "You didn't even get to see the look on our cook's face when I told him how to make it. Even the serving girls were disgusted. It was quite comical."

"Thanks, Aikka. It was really nice of you to go through all this trouble just for me. I guess you weren't lying when you said Nourasians are well known for their hospitality."

"It was no trouble at all. Of course I wouldn't lie to you about that Eva." Inside, Aikka was savoring the absence of his title. He liked it better when she talked to him as she would a friend, rather than royalty. _Is that all you want to be, friends?_ Aikka mentally silenced the voice in his head. He couldn't think about that right now, it was too confusing. Before he met Eva, everything had been so simple. He knew that he wanted to rule the kingdom alone because every girl he met was the same: they had no personality and only cared about money and jewels. Aikka didn't want to fall in love, and never thought he would. But then Eva came along, and everything changed. _Wait a minute… did I just say that I fell in love with Eva? Am I in love with her? Why did this have to happen now? It's too soon. I don't understand any of this, how do I get any answers? This isn't just something I can go ask my parents about. I'm so screwed up right now. Back to the real world, come on. _"Eva, would you please sit down? Your legs must be killing you by now."

Eva laughed and sat down. Taking a big bite of the English muffin, she sighed in satisfaction. "This is even better than at home."

"Really? The cooks had no idea what they were doing to start out with, so I am glad that they did so well." Aikka took a spoonful of a chunky looking blue soup and popped it in his mouth.

"What is _that_?" Eva clearly looked disgusted.

"It is a grout root stew. Would you like some?"

"Will it kill me if I try any?"

Aikka laughed, "No, I assure you. It is quite tasty."

"All right, if you say so. I'll let you know that if I die you are paying for the funeral." This comment earned another laugh from him. Aikka scooped up another spoonful and, placing his hand under it to catch any spills, guided it into Eva's mouth. Her face lit up in shock. This grout root stew was good, but it reminded her of something she ate on earth. It tasted like…. she burst out laughing again.

"Are you okay, Eva?" Aikka looked at her strangely.

"Yes, I'm fine. Do you know what this tastes like?"

"Grout root?" Aikka raised his eyebrows.

"Besides that. Here, try this oat meal." Eva shoveled some oatmeal onto her spoon and popped it into Aikka's mouth before he had fully understood what she was going to do. He immediately burst out laughing.

"This tastes exactly like grout root. I would never have guessed, they look so different. I guess the cooks don't have to go through any more special preparations for you; we can just have grout root stew."

"I'm glad that I already found a new food that I enjoy so much. I am having so much fun here."

Aikka's face immediately became more serious. "I am glad you are enjoying Nourasia so much. I am truly sorry that you had to wait so long to come."

"Don't worry about it. I'm here now, that is what matters."

"I am really happy that you could come, Eva. It has been a long time since Oban. Many things have changed."

Eva and Aikka proceeded to talk about Nourasia's defeat of the Crogs, Earth's communication with other planets, and similar things. They began to talk about their old friends from Alwas and Oban.

"Have you seen Rush lately?" Aikka asked.

"Actually, I haven't. I haven't seen anyone from back then."

"He is now married, has five children, and owns a very large portion of his specie's money."

"Are you kidding? That great! Rush deserves it." Eva was glad to hear that her friend was doing well.

"Even Super Racer is doing better. His newest wife is a seamstress, so she made him a new outfit, that doesn't clash as much." They both laughed at this, remembering the stupid costume that guy wore every day.

"I am delighted that all of our friends are doing so well. Even Jordan ended up better than before." As Eva said this, her voice cracked and tears welled up in her eyes.

Aikka couldn't stand to see Eva in such pain. He stood up and walked around the table to Eva. Eva stood up and fell into his open arms. He held her like that for a long time, as her tears turned to sobs and she shook in his arms. For every sob she made, he held her tighter, hoping to ease her pain. He murmured, "It is going to be okay. You will be fine. Everything is okay, Eva."

After a while, her sobs died down and she pulled away from him, wiping her nose and trying to clean herself up. Aikka gave her an encouraging smile and gave her a handkerchief from his robe pocket. He knew how much it hurt for her to think about her partner.

"You liked him a lot, didn't you?" Aikka couldn't help but feel jealous. Jordan had gotten to spend a lot of time with Eva on Alwas and Oban.

"He was my partner, of course I liked him." Eva looked down at the table, avoiding Aikka's eyes. "But he like me more, he loved me. Right before he jumped into The Creator's magic, he told me that. I know I never loved him, and I never would have. It just makes me feel worse that he sacrificed himself for me like that, and I didn't even love him."

Aikka was ecstatic, but he was trained well enough not to show it. So Eva didn't like Jordan like that. _But it still hurts her to think about him. He was her partner after all._ "Hey, its okay. Jordan understands. He knew that you guys could never be together. He just wanted you to know. There is nothing wrong with not loving him."

Eva smiled at Aikka. "You know, you sound much older than last time we saw each other."

"And I've gotten a lot stronger, too." Aikka playfully flexed his biceps.

His diversion worked, Eva laughed. They were both thankful to move onto a lighter subject. They talked more about the customs of each other's cultures. That subject reminded Aikka about her birthday presents.

"Have you opened your presents yet?"

"Actually, to tell the truth, I kind of forgot in all the excitement. Would you like to help? I would need someone to explain what everything is to me."

"It would be my honor to assist you in your unwrapping." Aikka extended an arm to escort Eva. She took it and they walked off to the large ballroom where all the presents were still situated.


	5. ANOTHER NOTICE

I am going to be extremely busy over the next few weeks and I won't be able to update for a while. I won't tell you why I'm busy just because I like to be secretive :). Please don't forget to keep tabs on _A Sweet Present_, and try to be patient. If any of you have ideas to input, don't be afraid to give them to me. I will read all reviews and take them seriously. Thanks to those who have already given me ideas. Hopefully I will be able to update soon.


End file.
